Disclosure forms for state officials available online

July 5, 2013|By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE — Elected officials, judges and certain state employees have started to send in their annual financial disclosure forms that for the first time are being posted on the Florida Commission on Ethics website.

Without having to request the documents, anyone can see that state Attorney General Pam Bondi's net worth now stands at $780,871, up from $472,696 in 2010 when she was a candidate for state office.

Or that state Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, is worth $6.35 million. Thrasher, who is chairman of the powerful Rules Committee, is an attorney who owns property in St, Augustine, Orlando, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs and Sky Valley, Ga.

Or that state Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, who is often rumored to be on the short list of lieutenant governor possibilities, has a net worth of $198,000. Flores, who has three property mortgages worth a combined $672,000, is an attorney and president of Doral College.

Or that former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who was paid $145,517 last year before departing under a cloud in March, reported her net worth dropped from $554,421 in 2011 to $476,504 for 2012.

A majority of the individual reports still have not been posted.

But most will become available in the next few days, said Commission on Ethics Operations Director Kerrie Stillman.

This is the first year that the disclosure forms are being posted online by the commission, which has been given a little more teeth to get all 38,000 people who are required to file to do so.

Previously, the public had to request the information from the state agency, specifically asking for each individual's records and then wait for the paperwork.

The change was part of the Legislature's ethics overhaul (SB 2) this year that also bars elected officials from taking advantage of their positions to get taxpayer-funded jobs and blocks lawmakers from lobbying state agencies for two years after they leave office.

Dan Krassner, executive director of the public-advocacy group Integrity Florida, said Tuesday the online access gives the public a greater chance to "hold government officials accountable for potential conflicts between their private financial interests and public decisions.''

And the information should get better. Krassner added that an electronic filing system that must still be created will improve disclosure accuracy in future years.

The law was signed by Gov. Rick Scott on May 1, and the commission quickly scrambled to prepare the website for the paperwork drop.

"Now it's a matter of trying to keep up,'' Stillman said.

Visitors to the site should expect most of the information to take a few days to appear, due to the amount of reports coming in at one time and the need for staff to redact information, such as Social Security numbers from income forms.

The disclosure forms are due within five days of July 1, and a good amount of the paperwork remains outstanding.

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 8,000 forms had yet to arrive, including 402 of the 1,444 elected constitutional officers, Stillman said.

For those who missed the five-day deadline there is still plenty of time.

The commission can't begin issuing fines, $25 a day, up to $1,500, until Sept. 1.

Krassner said the Legislature in 2013 should consider "firming up the July 1 disclosure deadline by having late filing fees begin on forms postmarked on or after July 2.''